Loving my Lebel! 1st time reloader. Need help reloading 8mm lebel.. much appreciated!

cyclone said:
Not to sound like a broken record :redface: , but reloading a straight-wall pistol cartridge may not the epitome of "the deep end" of the reloading arts ?...:yingyang:
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It's not the reloading that I think is the deep end but the resizing of the brass that is in my opinion 'the deep end' ;) The actual reloading of a straight walled pistol cartridge is the best shallow end to get one's toes wet.
 
cyclone said:
Not to sound like a broken record :redface: , but reloading a straight-wall pistol cartridge may not the epitome of "the deep end" of the reloading arts ?...:yingyang:
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I'm not sure I understand your meaning but I will agree that berdan primed, necked cartridges in obsolete calibers are probably the most difficult.

However, this antique gun is no walk in the park compared to reloading for a modern straight wall cartridge such as 9mm. Consider the challenges:

-The gun is 120 years old and was originally designed for a black powder load.
-Brass is non-existent and must be formed from other calibers
-Bullets are not commercially available and must be cast or obtained from someone who can cast them.
-Once bullets are obtained their diameter must be sized to something compatible with the actual bore of the gun.
-There isn't any reliable published load data for this cartridge. You have to work it up yourself.
-The only published source of data on the cartridge has been questioned and is probably incorrect.

The only way to reliably reload for this gun is to take measurements from the gun itself and work up a load based on those parameters. Do you honestly think that this is something a complete neophyte is capable of doing successfully? All I can say, is that I am grateful he has found a mentor or two.

He hasn't answered my previous question so I will maintain my opinion that he has never fired a firearm and we are having a conversation about reloading for an obsolete caliber?

I think the cart is before the horse.
 
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KotKotofeich said:
May I make a suggestion? Pardon the US-centric viewpoint, but would it not be easier to work with an importer (e.g Prophet River or IRunGuns) to get brass? Some importers charge around $50 for importing parts, so perhaps they would import reloading components too... (Doesn't hurt to ask?) It would be rather expensive brass, but it could make sense for rare ones like the lebel. I have not actually done the research but it would be the direction I would go if I were in the same situation - I think resizing brass is one of the more advanced tasks for a reloader. [Just checked and Borderview advertises that they do import ammo and components - expensive, but it may be worth it to you?]

FWIW I'm glad the OP may be able to get a mentor - I believe it is important to have one when learning to reload and makes the process much more enjoyable. I had a friend show me how and I think he got as much enjoyment out of it as me (I mean free and MOTIVATED labour - could it get better?) It is also much easier to learn on a modern caliber - I started with 45 ACP and 41 rem mag, then moved to 223 and 308 and am only hoping to reload for an antique in the future. I think that makes for an easier progression than jumping in at the deep end straight away. Even with only a PAL you could own a rifle that uses 44 mag and practice reloading for that.

Good luck either way and I do hope you keep your lebel, learn to reload for it and enjoy it safely :)
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brass can be made from .32-20 witch is easy to get. importing is not really worth it unless your buying it by the case and reselling it
 
Take .32-20 case. Trim to length. Expand. Prime. Load with black powder, if there is concern about loading smokeless. Dollars to donuts the French produced smokeless ammunition for this revolver, given that it remained in service for many years. Seat bullet. In a pinch, lead round balls could be used.
It ain't rocket science. These revolvers aren't rare, and there are people shooting them.
 
Converting 32-20 to 8mm lebel is not "advanced". It's easy.

1. use the 8mm lebel revolver dies to size and expand the 32-20 case (use 32-20 shellholder, not 8mm)
2. trim it to the proper length.
3. Now it's a 8mm lebel revolver brass. load it and shoot it.

As Cyclone said, it's straight walled revolver brass and it's not rocket science. Importing from the US will take months. Buying 100 32-20 and converting it to 8mm is a couple hours work, and the worst of it is the trimming which is somewhat tedious. But it is not complicated or advanced.

The french were the first nation to switch military ammo to smokeless propellants. The 8mm lebel revolver was designed for smokeless but they did use blackpowder cartridges in it for the first year or two until the supply of suitable smokeless propellant caught up with the production of the revolver itself. Any competent reloader can safely load this cartridge with smokless propellants.
 
Clotho said:
I'm not sure I understand your meaning but I will agree that berdan primed, necked cartridges in obsolete calibers are probably the most difficult....
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I may just be about to expose the depths of my ignorance :wave: , but here goes...:yingyang:....


To my humble mind :stirthepot2: , a more "diabolical" antique-cartridge to load for (in an antique) would be the .44-40 b: - a terribly small but necessary neck, same caveats with the "originally for blackpowder", and so on....


"Virgin" 8mm 'Lebel' brass has no neck, and is a "straight-wall" cartridge - I know, I bought 2 bags' worth last year. If you want/have to go the ".32-20 trim" route, that's another thing, but it's not the only way.


Reloading is not a barren wasteland: 2.8 grains of Bullseye is the load recommended for a 115-grain bullet in Cartridges of the Wold - 11th Ed.


A sufficient number of CGN'ers cast bullets for this cartridge.


So far as cartridges go, this one is - IMHO - not a "monster" to cope with.
 
antiqueguy said:
brass can be made from .32-20 witch is easy to get. importing is not really worth it unless your buying it by the case and reselling it
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Ok, I bow to your expertise. I am by no means an expert in reloading and still scared of resizing. :) I wish I lived in Windsor so I could look in on this reloading exercise. Good luck!
 
cyclone said:
I may just be about to expose the depths of my ignorance :wave: , but here goes...:yingyang:....


To my humble mind :stirthepot2: , a more "diabolical" antique-cartridge to load for (in an antique) would be the .44-40 b: - a terribly small but necessary neck, same caveats with the "originally for blackpowder", and so on....


"Virgin" 8mm 'Lebel' brass has no neck, and is a "straight-wall" cartridge - I know, I bought 2 bags' worth last year. If you want/have to go the ".32-20 trim" route, that's another thing, but it's not the only way.


Reloading is not a barren wasteland: 2.8 grains of Bullseye is the load recommended for a 115-grain bullet in Cartridges of the Wold - 11th Ed.


A sufficient number of CGN'ers cast bullets for this cartridge.


So far as cartridges go, this one is - IMHO - not a "monster" to cope with.
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the monster is the .577-450 trying to get a hunting accuracy load made is tough trying to load on with smokeless(needed if your flying) even more so a monster
 
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